Clear Skies - Venus and Jupiter

 Clear Skies - Venus and Jupiter

You have undoubtedly seen in the news that Venus and Jupiter are approaching each other in the evening sky.  They will be closest on Monday/Tuesday, and they are both a delight to see now and in the next few days.

Venus, Earth, and Jupiter – and all of the planets – orbit the Sun.  Venus is closest to the Sun so orbits faster than Earth and Jupiter, and Earth is closer than Jupiter, so Earth orbits faster than Jupiter.

What we are seeing is that Venus is “catching up” to Jupiter from our vantage point on Earth.  Because Earth is orbiting faster than Jupiter, we are leaving Jupiter behind, meaning it appears lower to the horizon each day.

It is best to see this pairing 45 to 90 minutes after sunset, where you will find them low in the west.  Venus is much brighter than Jupiter, but both are unmistakable. 

If you have binoculars, try to see the moons of Jupiter, which will appear like a little string of up to four “stars” in a line on either side of Jupiter.  They change position fairly rapidly from night to night, so it can be a pleasure to note their dance over the course of a few days.  There are four of these bright moons – the so-called Galilean moons in honour of Galileo who first saw them in a telescope, but sometimes one or more may be in front or behind Jupiter and so not seen.

At their closest, Venus and Jupiter will be one and half degrees apart – about one and half widths of your little finger held at arm’s length.  You can follow them for a few more nights as the distance between them increases.

Clear skies.

David

 The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store

Nanaimo Bird Report

June 5, 2026

“EXPLORE NATURE” --- GO BIRDING:
To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at birding@thebackyard.ca. Please remember, when reporting a sighting to leave your name and phone number along with the date the species was seen and location of your sighting.
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American Dipper (John Morrison)

Tuesday June 2, 2026: 

The Tuesday Bird Walk went to the Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery in Qualicum Beach. Weather was sunny and 19C. A few highlights from the walk were American Dipper, Common Merganser, and Spotted Sandpiper seen in the river and a few Red-breasted Sapsuckers along the walk, or one that followed us around.

14 birders saw and heard the following 42 species:

Common Merganser

Cooper’s Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle

Turkey Vulture

Spotted Sandpiper

Glaucous-winged Gull

Band-tailed Pigeon

Anna’s Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Western Flycatcher

Hammond’s Flycatcher

Willow’s Flycatcher

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Warbling Vireo

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Pacific Wren

House Wren

American Dipper

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

Cedar Waxwing

Orange-crowned Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Yellow Warbler

MacGillivray’s Warbler

Wilsons’s Warbler

Western Tanager

Black-headed Grosbeak

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Brown-headed Cowbird

Purple Finch

Pelagic Cormorant (Ralph Hocken)

Sunday May 31, 2026:

The Sunday Bird Walk went to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Weather was sunny and very windy on the water side, 12C, and tide was going out. A few highlights from the walk were Wood Duck in the ponds by the parking lot, Violet-green Swallow feeding low over the beach and a Yellow-rumped Warbler was heard at the parking lot.

13 birders, including a birder from the United Kingdom, saw and heard the following 28 species.

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Brant’s Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Glaucous-winged Gull

Rock Pigeon

Anna’s hummingbird

Western Flycatcher

Violet-green Swallow

Warbling Vireo

American Crow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Bewick’s Wren

Pacific Wren

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Goldfinch

If you have any bird sightings to report or need help identifying, just email or call the store, birding@thebackyard.ca or 250-390-3669, toll-free 1-888-808-BIRD (2473)

The Backyard Bird Walks

Our bird walks go out Sunday mornings in Nanaimo and Tuesday mornings in Parksville and Qualicum Beach area, are easy walks that go for two to three hours (back for lunch is the plan). Bring binoculars and a field guide. The walks are weather pending.

Please check our blog (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) for any cancelations.

Sunday Bird Walk, June 7, 2026:

Sunday Bird Walk will be going to Buttertubs Marsh, in Nanaimo.

Meet directly at the parking lot on Jingle Pot Road at 9:00am. Weather cooperating.

Tuesday Bird Walk, June 9, 2026:

Tuesday Bird Walk will be going to the Shelly Road side of the Englishman River Estuary in Parksville.

Meet at the parking lot located at the end of Shelly Road at 9:00 am. Weather cooperating.

Good birding! Colin Bartlett